The use of electronic devices of all kinds has increased dramatically throughout society, which has led to a significant increase in the demand for improved components utilized with such devices. One facet in the utilization of such electronic devices involves the data communications between such devices within a networked system. For example, many electronic devices may now be coupled and synchronized with other electronic devices, such as a computer, for transmitting data and other information back and forth between the various devices.
For accurate data and information transmission in such a system, the components of the system devices, and particularly the interface components of the system which connect between the various electronic devices, must be optimized for greater speed and performance. One particularly important interface component is the transmission cable which extends between the electronic devices that are communicating. Various cable designs have been utilized for such data and information transmission. Generally, suitable cable structures utilize a plurality of electrical conductors and a connector structure at one or both ends which interfaces with the connector structure of the electronic device. For example, connectors of a cable might plug into appropriate socket structures in the electronic devices. The electrical conductors include signal conductors; that is, transmission lines which carry the actual data or information signals, and ground conductors which provide an electrical reference for the transmitted data and information.
While the conductor or cable portions of existing cable structures have been suitable in maintaining the integrity of the signals transmitted thereon, significant attention has been paid to the termination components of the cable structure, generally referred to as the connector. The connector of the cable structure provides a transition between the individual electrical conductors of the cable portion, and hence the transmitted signals, and the internal circuitry of the electronic device to which the cable structure is connected. Generally, such connectors utilize a plurality of contacts, often in the form of conductive strips, pins and/or tabs. The electrical conductors, i.e., the signal and ground conductors, terminate at the contacts of the connector, and are electrically coupled to the contacts. The electronic device then includes its own set of contacts, such as pins or tabs, within a socket, for example, for interfacing with the contacts of the connector and thereby providing electrical coupling between the electronic devices at either end of the cable structure. Oftentimes, the interface between a cable structure connector and electronic device involves the cable structure connector engaging a socket in the electronic device, which includes pins or other contacts that engage the connector in a male-female relationship. However, various other different connector structures have been utilized as evidenced by numerous patents in the field directed to such connector designs.
In some cable structures, each signal conductor is associated with a ground conductor. Therefore, the connectors of such cable structures provide individual contacts for each of the signal conductors and each of the ground conductors. Therefore, there are multiple ground contacts in the connectors. However, depending upon the number of conductors within a cable structure, such an arrangement may require a large or bulky connector structure. It is a goal within the field of transmission cable structures to minimize the size of the connector, while still maintaining a sufficient signal conductor density and maintaining the integrity of the transmitted signals.
To that end, attempts have been made to make cable structures wherein the connectors utilize multiple ground conductors which are electrically coupled to a single ground reference. Since the ground conductors are not carrying different signals, they can all be coupled to a suitable single ground reference without affecting the operation of the cable structure. For example, some attempts have been made to couple all the ground connectors to a grounding shield. Another cable structure utilizes a grounding device including a carrier strip with a plurality of conductive strips extending therefrom. The conductive strips are coupled to the carrier strip by score lines and thus may be readily separated from the carrier strip. Depending upon the connector design, one or more conductive strips will be utilized with the carrier strip to make the ground connection within the connector, whereas other conductive strips are broken off from the carrier strip at their score lines to form signal contacts. The carrier strip is then connected to the ground conductors and one or more of the conductive strips still connected to the carrier strip from the ground contact of the cable structure. A single ground reference is thus utilized to service various of the ground conductors. Other of the conductive strips form the signal contacts.
While the goal of utilizing a single ground reference for multiple ground conductors within a cable structure is achieved, prior designs have had significant drawbacks. First, such designs are generally less robust due to the score lines between the conductive-ground contacts and carrier strip. Movement of the cable and manipulation of the connector may cause physical separation of the ground strips at the score line, thus creating an open circuit condition at the ground contacts. Furthermore, during the manufacturing of a cable structure utilizing such a connector design, an additional and costly step is involved to detach any non-ground contacts from the carrier strip and to insure that the grounded carrier strip is only coupled to the ground contacts and not any of the signal contacts.
Another drawback to such a design is the tenuous signal integrity that exists in such a connector. The contact/carrier strip design requires very close proximity of the grounded carrier strip and the signal contact strips which have been detached from the carrier strip. Thus, movement of the contact strips or the carrier strip may result in shorting of the signal conductor to ground. Accordingly, prior art structures utilizing such a connector-ground configuration have a less robust construction wherein signal integrity is jeopardized and additional manufacturing steps are required, thus increasing the cost of manufacturing the cable structure.
Still another drawback to existing connector designs involves the conductor cross-over that is often utilized in such designs. Specifically, the signal conductors may cross over the ground conductors for construction of the connector. In further constructing the connector, it may be necessary to apply pressure and or high temperatures to the end of the cable, such as when the connector body is being molded around the ends of the conductors. When the conductors are crossed over each other, they may be pressed together under the high temperature and pressure and this may cause a short circuit condition.
One connector addressing the various drawbacks in the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,372, which is the parent case to this application. While the connector disclosed in the '372 patent addresses such issues, it is still desirable to provide greater flexibility in the design of cables using such a connector.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a cable structure for communication between electronic devices which has improved signal integrity through the connector.
Furthermore, it is desirable to reduce the cost of manufacturing such cable structures and connectors.
Additionally, it is desirable to reduce the possibility of shorting between a signal conductor and a ground conductor within the connector to thereby further improve the integrity of the signal transmitted through the cable structure.
It is further desirable to have a connector design which is sufficiently compact, but which maintains a useful density of signal conductors.
It is further desirable to have a connector design which allows greater flexibility with regard to the placement of grounded contacts in the design of the cable.
These objectives and other objectives will become more readily apparent from the summary of invention and detailed description of embodiments of the invention set forth herein below.